Red Hot Flue

[Mr A]

How is the flue temp monitored? I got my first burn in last night. I have Jotul C450. I was unable to get my
faceplate on, So I can see my flue where it enters the insert. I burned some cut up redwood 2x6 decking, got a full box going pretty good. My flue was glowing orange where it enters the insert. I had the air turned to half way, and lowered it to 1/4 and the glowing faded. I need to get the insert pulled out of the fireplace cavity another 6 inches to enable surround to be installed. The surround looks nice, but it still heats the house well without it. Maybe someday I'll figure out how to get it pulled out more to get it in. With the surround I would not have seen the flue glowing. The piece that was glowing casn be seen in the center above the insert. There is not a gap between flue and insert, that's just the lighting in the pic. The flue is tightly inserted into the insert.

 

[begreen]

As you have found out, construction lumber burns hot and quickly. So much so that some stove manuals warn against burning it. If the wood has been treated with deck oils or preservatives it should not be burned at all. If it's totally untreated redwood then it's ok for starting fires but I wouldn't use it at primary fuel.

 

[Woody Stover]

Hard to see a thermo once you have the surround in place. Maybe a thermocouple with remote display. Before the surround goes on, you can install a probe thermo or a surfac thermo on the flue pipe or liner. If it's stainless, a surface thermo won't stick so you would have to drill a screw hole...hard to do in stainless. Should be able to get by without a thermo, though. You'll get a feel for judging how hot the fire is by how it looks. "Lazy," slower-moving flame won't overheat your pipe, a roaring fire with vigorous, fast-moving flames can get too hot in a hurry. I tend to baby my stove bringing it up to temp.
I have moved a stove without legs by putting a long dowel or two (like 1"x 24", or whatever fits) under the stove cross-ways and using it as a wheel. I got it under there by lifting the stove slightly with a crow bar. I don't know if you can do that on your insert without damaging it.

 

[Mr A]

I have moved a stove without legs by putting a long dowel or two (like 1"x 24", or whatever fits) under the stove cross-ways and using it as a wheel. I got it under there by lifting the stove slightly with a crow bar. I don't know if you can do that on your insert without damaging it.

I don't have a problem moving it. My pipe wont bend enough through the smoke shelf to get it into the insert in a position so that the surround can be installed. I messed with it for hours. Gave up, and in the morning decided I didn't need the surround. I found this offset box to solve that problem. The cut up 2x6 lumber went up quick, like paper, bright yellow, fast flame. Turning the air down changed the flames to a lazy orange flame and the pipe stopped glowing. Also when the flue was glowing, draft was sucking the flames up over the smoke tubes and into the flue. I'm new to this insert and burning in general, I'm going to guess if the flames are getting sucked into the flue I should shut down the air flow?

 

[Woody Stover]

I'm going to guess if the flames are getting sucked into the flue I should shut down the air flow?

See, you've already got it figured out!

 

[mellow]

I would cut out my damper before I installed an offset box, those things should be outlawed, they reduce draft and make cleaning a royal pain.

 

[Mr A]

I would cut out my damper before I installed an offset box, those things should be outlawed, they reduce draft and make cleaning a royal pain.

Is there something else I can use? The insert needs to pull out of the fireplace another 6 inches to expose the screw hole that the surround attaches to. The end of the liner is uncooperative. The back of the face wall of the fireplace sits 1 inch inside the insert exhaust opening. probably best to go without the surround, but it looks so much better. Yes, I can see the cleaning problem. My damper is cut out. Just a tight fit I guess.

 

[mellow]

That is some thick stone you have there, might be best to run it without a surround like you mentioned. The offset box would probably run into your lintel before you could get it out enough to attach the surround.

 

[Mr A]

That is some thick stone you have there, might be best to run it without a surround like you mentioned. The offset box would probably run into your lintel before you could get it out enough to attach the surround.

It is the stone! i have up to 7 inches from back of lintel to face of the irregular stone. I never considered that before. More eyes on a problem the better, thanks for your observation. The stone is manufactured of lightweight concrete, is flat on the back and probably mortared to a flat surface, yet to be determined. I could cut the stone out so the surround can be let in from the face of the stone. I would have to trim the inside edges of the cut stone, it would look like the broken piece of the hearth, just gray concrete. I'll probably just leave it alone

 

[corey21]

No wonder it glowed with a load of dry lumber scraps.

 

[Mr A]

No wonder it glowed with a load of dry lumber scraps.

Please explain, The absent surround has no effect on the burning

 

[corey21]

I was talking about the lumber scraps.

 

[Mr A]

They burn good and hot. I've got half a cord of lumber scraps. Now that I know to keep an eye on them and keep the air down, they are giving off good heat, keeping the house at 70,it's in the 50's outside today.

 

[tfdchief]

It is the stone! i have up to 7 inches from back of lintel to face of the irregular stone. I never considered that before. More eyes on a problem the better, thanks for your observation. The stone is manufactured of lightweight concrete, is flat on the back and probably mortared to a flat surface, yet to be determined. I could cut the stone out so the surround can be let in from the face of the stone. I would have to trim the inside edges of the cut stone, it would look like the broken piece of the hearth, just gray concrete. I'll probably just leave it alone

What is the stone stuck on....what is behind it? Is the fire place a masonry unit? Or pre-fab metal unit?

 

[bag of hammers]

They burn good and hot.

My place is in a never ending state of renovation - so I always have a few pieces of SPF 2x ends in the pile. I throw one in for a cold start sometimes, or a couple small pieces in on top of a fire if it seems to need a bit of coaxing - not very often though. I have a flue probe on my stove and I've seen it go from zero to @1000 in a matter of minutes with a pile of small dry wood. Caught me by surprise once. Aside, I always seem to have a ton of plywood / pressure treated / stained scraps laying around that never go near the stove.

 

[Mr A]

What is the stone stuck on....what is behind it? Is the fire place a masonry unit? Or pre-fab metal unit?

It is a masonry fireplace. I dont know if the stone facing was mortared to brick or lathe behind. Built 1980, these are the same stones at my parents home, 200 miles away built in the 70's. Pretty common material for the period.

 

[tfdchief]

It is a masonry fireplace. I dont know if the stone facing was mortared to brick or lathe behind. Built 1980, these are the same stones at my parents home, 200 miles away built in the 70's. Pretty common material for the period.

OK, it just looked like one that caused a house fire here once. The stone was glued to 2 X 4 framing. The insert transferred heat through the stone and eventually the 2 X 4's ignited. All masonry fireplace, you should be OK.